Inspiration, ideas and information to help women build public speaking content, confidence and credibility. Denise Graveline is a Washington, DC-based speaker coach who has coached nearly 200 TEDMED and TEDx speakers--including one of 2016's most popular TED talks. She also has prepared speakers for presentations, testimony, and keynotes. She offers 1:1 coaching and group workshops in public speaking, presentation and media interview skills to both men and women.

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

A great panel shouldn't so surprising. But because so many speakers and organizers fail to prepare for delighting the audience, the truly delightful panels are few and far between. Far more common are panels that use up the listeners' goodwill and then some. Fortunately, planning a great panel and pulling it off is well within reach--just four basic factors will get you there, with the bonus that its rarity means yours will be a real standout. Here's how:

Watch the clock: By that, I mean start and end on time. Don't say to speakers, "Just take 5 to 10 minutes." Is it 5 or is it 10? That can mean the difference between an on-time performance and an over-long panel. While you're at it, make sure your moderator doesn't let one speaker run on, leaving the others to rush through their remarks...or go overtime.

Prefer the audience's speaking time: Audience members will always ask the best questions and the questions you couldn't possibly anticipate--and they came to play. So make sure to give them time to speak and ask questions. Want to really delight them? Let audience questions open the session.

Focus and limit: Inviting too many speakers is the surest way to disappoint your audience, since it means neither speakers nor listeners will have enough time. Got too many great folks? Figure out how to make two panels, do part 1 and part 2 panels, or just get choosy.

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